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History Behind Firearms

I saw a comment on my article on gear and training stating you would love to learn the history behind the firearms. Although I am not sure you read the article and only focused on the sick gun porn in the picture this is for you Jesse McCully hope you enjoy it. Also I am not a historian so if I miss something or have something off please comment with a correction without busting my balls to bad please.

Before firearms could even become a possibility, we have to thank China for the invention of black powder in 1232. This was the year the first gun powdered filled tube set the stage for the current “rocket” of today. The use of the first “firearm” dates back to 1364 and would resemble the cartoon cannons where a wick was lit by hand to ignite powder in the barrel. The first cannons in Europe were used in the Islamic war against Spain in the 13th century. Imagine that Islam from the beginning attacking people. Smaller cannons were developed along the way for ease of transport. The cannons supplied by Captain James Cook helped King Kamehameha conquer all the Hawaiian Islands. A side note, because I’m a sick f**k, King Kamehameha ordered Cook’s men to stay on their ships because they were infecting the women with chlamydia. This also began the era of Americans occupying the Islands and the start of the Haole, (no breath) for the ghost like white skin, stealing their land and eating their pineapples. The cannon moved on into the first World War and though combat styles changed, the cannon was still responsible for 75% of the casualties. The cannon also set the stage for all other arms.

In the 1400′s the Matchlock guns had been designed and were the first mechanical fired guns. They still used a wick but it was attached to a clamp that sprang in the powder that sat in the flash pan.

In the 1500′s wheel lock guns were invented and they were the first self-igniting gun. The design allowed the wheel lock to generate a spark for ignition. In 1630 Flintlocks replaced most of the Wheelock though both were still around through the 1700′s. Wheel lock guns were hand held and possibly the first recorded hand held, this is where the historian would be good to confirm. Eventually percussion caps became the choice for muzzle loaders and popular today.

In 1718 the first hand held machine gun was invented by James Puckle. The Puckle gun was a single barreled flintlock with a multi shot cylinder. This piece would fire 9 shots a minute opposed to the 3 shots a minute with the standard flintlock. Another note, there were two different shaped rounds used in the Puckle gun. Round slugs for Christians and square slugs against Muslims. The square slugs were said to cause more pain than the round slugs. The Puckle gun never really received attention or support and was short lived.

By now we are getting into the era of “how the west was won” with my man Samuel Colt. In 1836 Colt received a patent for his first revolver. Colt is still a very well trusted name to this day although a little on the pricey side. Colt and Browning, along with Spencer and Henry, led the way to reach our common revolvers and long guns we have today. In 1862 the first Spencer repeating rifle was introduced and used by the Union Army Calvary and also used by the Confederate army as well as the United States army.

In 1861 Dr. Richard Gatling invented the Gatling gun, the first rapid fire gun that set the stage for machine guns. The Gatling required someone to crank the handle but done the rest with expelling spent casings and reloading. The first true automatic was the Maxim Gun in 1884. The Maxim used the recoil to re-chamber as we see in our current days. The Maxim was also a vital weapon in WWI along with the use of the Vickers gun. The Vickers gun was a British machine gun usually requiring 8 men to operate.

Moving forward to the Assault Rifles. In 1919, the Thompson gun was invented also known by many other names including Tommy gun. It is a 45 acp and was a favorite among soldiers, criminals and police. It played a huge role in the prohibition along with its role in the WW and sought by collectors to this day. John Grand invented the M1 semiautomatic in 1934. The M1941 Johnson rifle was invented before WWII. It had issues when attaching a bayonet to the moving barrel but did allow for a greater capacity and less recoil than the M1.The German Sturmgewehr was introduced in WW II and fired a medium size round. It was the first to deliver a high rate of fire during the war. The U.S. answered with a build of their own and this was no other than the M 16. More on the M 16 later. Other weapons that are notable to mention are the Uzi which was built in 1948 and used by the Israelis. It was used in combat as well as a personal defense weapon. The Mac 10 was developed in 1964 as another automatic pistol that grew popularity. This lightweight tactical fighting tool took off as an icon for the gansta rappers as well. One of my all-time favorites was the Tec 9, produced from 1985 to 1990 with spin off versions such as the AB 10. And you guys pricing AB 10′s for sale at 400 and over stop it. You can buy one new for 350 and under. If you have a preban then you have a right to price higher. I left out the weapons we have grown to love and trust until now.

Starting with the AK 47, my rifle of choice was designed by a mechanic by the name of Mikhail Kalashnikov. Kalashnikov began as a civilian mechanic before his military career. He then became a Tank mechanic before moving into the tanks as an operator. He is most famous for his design of the Ak 47 and 74. He did however design a tank that would set the stage for tanks as we know them today. The AR 15 was designed by Eugene Stoner, a Marine vet who worked as an engineer for Armalite. Armalite suffered financial problems causing them to sell the design to Colt. This then was put into military service as the M16 as already noted and was issued in the Vietnam era. Colt began building the semi-auto version we have grown to love in 1963. Colt still owns the trademark to AR-15 and any other manufacturer therefore is an “AR style” rifle. The Sturmgewehr MP 43 and MP 44 were developed by Nazi Germany in WWII. They were pretty much the same rifle with minor differences. The M2 browning 50 cal. was designed around the end of WWI. It uses a 50 BMG cartridge. This machine gun has been used as a vehicle mounted, aircraft mounted and even mounted on boats. The M60, the United States Machine Gun, was introduced in 1957 and uses the 7.62 nato (308 win.) round and is belt fed. The Rheinmetall MG 3 is a general purpose machine gun also chambered in 7.62 nato. It was designed after the MG42 used in WWII. It is still used today as a vehicle mounted weapon. The XM214 Microgun was designed by GE in 1966. They never made it to any mass production and were later scaled down the M134 minigun. To get a glimpse at what the future may hold with many more designs you can follow Metal Storm who develop a wide range of weapons. Another leader in the industry is Barrett with more great guns than I could list so go check out their sight.

Hand guns’, starting with one that is widely known by the wrong name, is the Parabellum-Pistole. It is widely wrongfully known as the Luger and was designed in 1898 by Georg Luger. Here you will see why 9mmx19 ammunition gets different names yet still the same round. 9mmx19 is also known as 9mm luger or 9mm Parabellum. 9mm Makarov is also known as 9mmx18. The Makarov pistol is a Russian pistol that was in issue from 1951 to 1991. The American choice of side arm was the Colt M1911A1, in 45 acp which was later replaced by the Beretta 92F which is a fine weapon. I have a 96DS which is a double action only chambered in 40 cal based off of the 92F. Sig Sauer has also played a role with military issued pieces with the P250 as well. These are a good list of guns that have preserved ourselves and our soldiers and continue to change with the times. I hope this helps in what you were wondering Jesse McCully and the rest of Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children’s’ patriots. Please comment if you would like to look into a specific gun and I will put something together for you.